An additional 1% sales tax may be coming to Mission Mart Shopping Center.
Kansas City, Missouri-based Sunflower Development Group, the developer of The Lanes at Mission Bowl, wants to purchase and transform the 70-year-old shopping center in Mission.
Current plans include improving pedestrian access, creating a public common area and making the arched drive-thru a centerpiece of the shopping center.
The renovations are projected to cost upwards of $3.5 million, and the developer is seeking a community improvement district to levy an additional 1% sales tax from Mission Mart customers.
This additional 1% sales tax may be imposed beginning as early as July 1, 2025, that is if the community improvement district is ultimately approved by the city of Mission.
What has happened so far?
- Earlier this month, a city committee heard the developer’s plans for Mission Mart.
- Last week, the Mission City Council unanimously approved a funding agreement with Sunflower Development Group as part of its consent agenda.
- The funding agreement requires the developer to set aside at least $10,000 to pay for financial analysis and bond counseling the city may need as conversations about a community improvement district are ongoing.
Developer envisions $3.5M roof, facade, landscaping upgrades
Banks Floodman, director of real estate development for Sunflower Development Group, told the city council during a committee meeting on Dec. 10 that Sunflower is in discussions with the current owner of Mission Mart to buy the property.
Overall, Floodman said Sunflower envisions $3.5 million worth of upgrades to the 70-year-old shopping center. Floodman said Sunflower has “looked at Mission Mart for years.”
“I have a lot of respect for Steve Choikhit (the current owner) and what he’s done for Mission Mart over the last 39 years, but we do feel that there’s an ability to take Mission Mart to the next level.”
Floodman said this includes highlighting the drive-thru archway on the site as a centerpiece of Mission Mart with upgraded signage. There are no plans to replace any of the mom and pop shops with chains as part of this plan, he said.
Other upgrades Sunflower plans to make include the following:
- Nearly $1.5 million in interior improvements and HVAC repairs
- Roof repairs that are estimated to cost $675,000
- Upgrades to the parking lot, landscaping and general property costing an estimated $235,000
- Facade upgrades are estimated to cost more than $1 million
Floodman said there are also plans to develop some sort of common area courtyard that may feature a mural, but that will likely require removing some parking spaces. The loss of parking spaces is the main concern of tenants, though, and will require some sort of balance, Floodman said.
City cautions against burdening established tenants
Generally, the city council during a Dec. 10 finance and administration committee meeting signaled support for the improvements Sunflower is planning for the site.
Still, the city council cautioned the developer against pushing out established tenants at the shopping center as part of this upgrade.
Councilmember Ben Chociej said he likes the project plan, but he wants to make sure the upgrades are “not making it harder on tenants there.”
Floodman told Councilmember Debbie Kring that there are no plans to increase rent for current tenants as part of the renovation plans. Still, Floodman said some spaces, specifically current vacancies and some tenants who are not planning to renew their leases, that are “significantly under market.”
Mayor Sollie Flora echoed similar concerns about rent for tenants, and said she wants to make sure that Sunflower is not planning to fund this proposed public-private partnership “on the back of the long-term tenants.”
Floodman said that is not what Sunflower wants to do at Mission Mart.
“I want to be clear that the tenants I would be referring to are people that would be leaving anyway,” Floodman said. “There are some tenants that are not going to be renewing, and we know that. We feel like there’s an opportunity there to bring in some fantastic, complementary tenants that we think will lift everything.”
Next steps:
- At its January 2025 meeting, the city council will consider a resolution to open a public hearing for the potential community improvement district.
- City council meetings start at 7 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at city hall, 6090 Woodson St.
Go deeper: Watch the city council’s entire discussion online here, starting at 2:07.
